If you'd offered me a point before Saturday's game against Manchester United I would have snapped your hands off yet I felt a little bit disappointed leaving the SOL after a goaless draw. The game which was delayed twenty minutes due to a burst pipe in the away dressing room was dominated by Sunderland but we failed to take our chances especially in the first half and had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Having taken points from Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool in recent weeks confidence was high going into the game. However despite our strong record at home since returning to the Premiership in 2007, Manchester United have came to Wearside and won three times so it remained to be seen whether we could build on last weeks away point.

The build up to the game focused on who would and wouldn't be fit for both SAFC and MUFC. With Valencia, Giggs and Scholes all ruled out prior to United's midweek Champion's League tie in Spain I was pleased to return home on Tuesday tea time to see Sky Sports News reporting Wayne Rooney was the latest to be ruled out. However by last night it turned out Fergie might have been playing the old mind games and Rooney might be fit, not much of a mind game lying like.

For SAFC I think had Danny Welbeck not been on loan from the visitors Steve Bruce may have been tempted to stick with the same side as last week but having been forced into at least one change I wondered whether Brucie would tinker with the formation to accommodate Gyan. Meanwhile with Anton Ferdinand and John Mensah both returning to training from injuries late in the week Bruce was left with a further selection headache.

The gaffer opted to make just the one change with Bolo Zenden coming in for Welbeck, whilst for Manchester United Rooney in fact wasn’t named in the squad though I was surprised Scholes was playing.

We started much the brighter side though it took about ten minutes for an effort on goal with Bent’s long range effort going harmlessly wide. It's no understatement to say Sunderland were camped in United's half in the first period and Steed Malbranque who was at the heart of everything good from the lads had a great chance to put us ahead. After playing a one two with Bent the winger went clean through on goal but Van der Sar stayed big to deny him. Soon after Malbranque was again involved when he volleyed a cross shot through the six yard box which Bent diverted goal wards only to be denied by a Rio Ferdinand block. Bolo Zenden went close from twenty five yards when his powerful shot thundered off the post whilst Manchester United's solitary effort on goal in the first half came from Nani's weak free kick.

After the break Manchester United made a change with the ineffective Owen replaced by Berbatov who thought he had given United the lead five minutes into the restart though he was ruled offside. The game became more even though Elmo had a half chance which he put over on his left foot, whilst Chicharito who replaced Macheda was left unmarked at the back post but misread the flight of the ball and missed a header.

Steed went close again when his long range effort deflected off Vidic and looped onto the top of the net before Bent missed his best chance off the game flashing a left foot shot wide of the post. The striker had been found unmarked in the box after a good run down the left hand side from Phil Bardsley.

Nani went close for United with a long range effort with Mignolet parried before Berbatov drilled a shot just wide of the post, which from where I was sitting had goal written all over it.

With ten minutes to go Steve Bruce made a double change with Gyan and Reid replacing the tiring Zenden and Malbranque. Gyan forced Van der Sar into a save with his first touch when his overhead kick from Elmo's crossed looked to be goal bound. Man U had a final chance went Vidic's effort was blocked but in the surprisingly low amount of three minutes added time considering who we were playing, it was Sunderland on the offensive though we couldn’t make the breakthrough.

Final Score: 0-0

ALS Man of the Match: Steed Malbranque

Aidan Crowe

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